Dar es Salaam Port berths 13, 14 construction kicks off next year

Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has finally secured funds for construction of berths 13 and 14 which were on drawing board for almost five years.

The fund, 690 million US dollar, put together by World Bank, DFID and TPA, will enable the much awaited project to take off in 2016/17 fiscal year.

TPA’s acting Director of Planning and Investment, Gladson Urioh, said the fund will also involve the construction of berth 12 after relocating Kurasini Oil Jetty to Mbwamaji in Kigamboni.

“A German consultant is on site… if all go as planned we expect to have the twin container terminal design shortly,” Mr Urioh said at a seminar for editors and senior reporters from mainstream media last Friday.

The design would enable to set construction process and whether to have a partner on running the project and terminal.

He said the construction of the two terminals was delayed as the previous two contractors, from China, were disqualified after failing to deliver in previous projects.

“We had to start afresh on designs as the previous contractors did not leave behind any document for the berths as they were yet to complete the task,” Mr Urioh said.

The consultant will, among other things, propose suitable Public Private Partnership (PPP) option for development and operation of berths 13 and 14. Mr Urioh said the project fall under Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway that geared on expanding and improving also berths 1 to 7.

The berths, according to TPA, will be transformed to dedicated service — such as grain, dust cargo, fertilizer and the like. Some will have conveyer belts to quickening off-loading process. The port is also looking into alternatives of operating berths 5-7 and from traditional operating approach to concession approach.

The directorate of planning and investment also said they have secured another fund 350 million US dollars for improving port railway and road infrastructure and increasing the depth of berths 1 to 7 to reach 14.5 metres at low tide.

“This will allow big vessels to dock at these berths (1-7). At the moment this is not possible during low tide,” Mr Urioh said. . The 350 million US dollar was from WB, DFID and TradeMark East Africa.

Both funds are loan through WB via International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to the government’s treasury registrar but TPA would pay back. In the first project TPA will contribute 60 million US dollars through its internal revenue while 30 million US dollars are from DFID.

According to the TPA’s Port Master Plan, 2009-2028 has the expansion and investment gap of 10 years thus warranting congestion at the port. The idea is to bridge the gap to enable Dar Port to receive 1.2 TEUs by 2019, currently it receives some 600,000 TEUs.